Arles: Two Thousand Years in a Town You Can Walk Across in Fifteen Minutes

Arles is small enough that you can cover its compact historic centre on foot in an afternoon, yet it contains a Roman amphitheatre that seats 20,000 people, one of the finest Romanesque church facades in France, a section of Roman street grid that has been continuously inhabited since the 1st century, and the neighbourhood where Vincent van Gogh created more than 300 paintings in 15 months. That concentration of significance in a town of 50,000 is, in the author’s view, what makes Arles the most underrated city in southern France.

The Roman and Romanesque monuments were collectively inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. They are part of a living town, not a preserved zone, which means you walk from a Roman arena directly past a pharmacy and a boulangerie.

The Amphitheatre

Les Arenes was built in the 2nd century AD to hold up to 25,000 spectators for gladiatorial contests and public entertainments. It is still in use today for Camargue-style bullfights and corridas during spring and summer, making it one of the oldest continuously functioning entertainment venues in the world. The medieval town built houses, towers, and a church inside the arena’s structure; three medieval towers remain integrated into the outer wall as visible evidence of that period. Admission runs around €10-12. Climbing to the upper tiers gives a view over the entire Rhone valley.

The Roman Theatre and Photography Festival

The Roman Theatre, dating to the 1st century BC, has been incorporated every July through October into the Rencontres de la Photographie d’Arles, the world’s largest photography festival. The 57th edition runs July 6 to October 4, 2026, on the theme “Des mondes a relire,” spreading across 30+ venues throughout the city including the ancient theatre and the Place du Forum. Nightly outdoor projections at the Roman Theatre are among the most atmospheric events in the festival calendar. If you’re visiting in summer, going during Rencontres adds a substantial cultural layer to the ancient monuments.

The Church of Saint-Trophime

The west facade of Saint-Trophime, completed in the 12th century, is one of the finest examples of Provençal Romanesque carving in existence: the tympanum depicts the Last Judgement with rows of figures arranged in the detailed hieratic style of the period. The cloisters attached to the church are equally accomplished, with carved capitals in both Romanesque and Gothic sections. The contrast in style between the two cloister wings, built a century apart, is instructive.

Van Gogh in Arles

Van Gogh arrived in Arles in February 1888 and stayed 15 months, a period in which he completed more than 300 works including The Night Cafe, Bedroom in Arles, and the Sunflowers series. The town’s remarkable light, the specific quality of Provence’s sky and colour, transformed his palette. None of the original paintings he made here remain in Arles; a series of metal panels throughout the city marks where he stood and what he was looking at. The Fondation Vincent van Gogh Arles on Rue du Docteur Fanton shows contemporary art in dialogue with his legacy and is worth an hour.

Where to Eat and Stay

Hotel Jules Cesar in the heart of the old town is the most atmospheric lodging option: a converted 17th-century convent with a proper restaurant. La Chassagnette, 15 minutes outside the city in the Camargue, is a Michelin-starred restaurant in an organic garden and is worth the taxi for a special meal.

For straightforward Provençal cooking, the Place du Forum has several terrasse restaurants. They are fine. Seek out the side streets near the Amphitheatre for less tourist-facing options.

By train: Arles is directly connected to Marseille (under an hour) and Avignon (20 minutes), making it a natural stop on a Provence itinerary. The Fondation LUMA Arles, in architect Frank Gehry’s dramatic 2021 stainless-steel tower complex in the Parc des Ateliers, is a contemporary art institution that transformed the city’s cultural geography and deserves at least a couple of hours.